The waters could not flow forever.

What had been a raging flood, a roar of water, was now a serene constant stream, which covered most of the valley. Small islands had formed from dragged stone on high ground, finally left behind as the water advanced. In the horizon, the broken dam was allowing the water of the lake to fall down, freely, without rage. The destruction could be seen all around; it had rendered a once beautiful landscape into shreds. The mountains’ inner sides had been clawed, the earth had been hidden below blue, and the snow had only remained on the high peaks above.

In the calm after the storm, something moved. Dragged for miles and pinned against some rocks, he had laid there unconscious, for hours. The last thing he had seen, had been the raging flow, the debris hitting his fur… and now, what he saw, was a blur of black and blue. The voice echoed around him, taunting, daring.

“Hey, ugly cat, wake up…” The voice was familiar, but it had a different tone to it. If he was not stunned and hurt, he would have recognized the concern in it. The figure was right in front of him, calling, asking him to stand. “Come on, you’re not going to let a little bit of water keep you from chasing those girls, are you?”

Lykaios looked up. He stared at those big black irises, which were looking down at him intently.

Chao felt amusement while looking at the miserable state in which Lykaios was in. That black fur was all ever droopy, and that elegant mane was flattened against his neck, as he rested weakly on the ground. As well, his eyes were hazed; his expression was one of confusion.

His amusement did not last long; the lynx’s eyes narrowed in a dash. Then, in a blink, he lunged. Huffing, all the air in Chao’s body left him. Lykaios tackled and pinned him under his claws, to lean his big maws near his head. Before he could bite his head off, Chao yelled, raising his own scaly hands.

“Hey, hey! Stop!” Lykaios blinked, taken aback by what Chao said next. “Are you going to maul the one who dragged you away from the ruins and mud?!”

Lykaios pondered. He pierced him with his eyes; he let go of his first instinct. He recalled feeling touch, the brushing of scales while the water receded. He slowly let go, too tired to fight someone he could not read well.

Chao sighed with a relieved smile and stood on his four. Both demons eyed each other, one cracking his sore body, the other taking a few steps away.

“You dragged me away from the water you say. And why would you do that?”

Chao laid the tip of his tail on his metaphorical chin, eyes looking up tauntingly.

“I don’t know. Maybe because you looked pitiful there at the shore, muddy, knocked out, like something that the cat dragged.” He laughed when Lykaios growled, and added a detail that could prevent him of clawing. “Maybe the main reason was her.”

The feline stopped growling instantly. His head raised, his eyes opened as he asked with dread.

“Her?” He ignored Chao, to look at the ruin around him. “Where are they? What happened to them? You better not have-!”

“Please, why would I try to harm someone I am in debt with?” Chao began to crawl back to the water, glaring and warning. “Those wings have saved my scales; you should have seen how rapidly they flapped while she looked for you. She grew tired and landed a few hours ago, unable to spot you in the dirt; you have been dragged far, far away. Hell, you could get to Feiren in only an hour. The children have taken solace near the dam, in a small sandbank; they probably think you’re dead, so I urge you to end their worries.”

With that, Chao left him alone. He disappeared into the water, camouflaged in the blue and brown. The only hint he had been there was the splash his tail made when it hit the now serene surface.

Lykaios looked away, at the horizon, the dam. He shivered while looking at the huge hole on it, at the cracks that engulfed the stone. He feared more when he saw the hanging bridge swing in the wind, falling limply from one peak.

He bolted forward. Even if his body burned with every jump he took over the fallen trunks and trails, he kept this form. He slammed his claws into the rivers, refusing to let them drag him again. His big figure swam multiple times through the new lakes and ponds, pushing fiercely, north. He climbed over hills and rocks that had become small waterfalls, rising tall over the debris. He ran, threading through every single island in the valley.

He searched, while two mourned.

Two figures sat against some rocks, at the shade of some torn trees. Their voices were faint, because of the echo of the waterfall behind them.

“I have to fly again. I have to find him.”

She was stopped, even though the other shared her fear for him.

“It’s the first time you fly. Your wings are getting sore, they are hurting. You strained them.” Ariel held Aurora’s claw, to comfort her. Her voice was soft, compelling and caring, even if miserable. “The waters are setting down. Let your wings rest. I’ll move, I’ll seek. Stay here.”

Aurora protested, growling upwards.

“And let you near the currents and sunken soil? What if you get trapped in the mud?”

“What if you do, Aurora? What if you drop down onto it from above and you sink? I’d rather sink myself.”

“I can handle it. If I had to descend, I would search for a safe space to land. I did before, didn’t I? I can do it again.”

“You don’t buy your own lies, sis; and you’re not good at hiding it. There’s barely any space here now, all is a watery mix of stone and broken wood. You did not land, you dropped here. I saw you struggle to fly back.”

“I landed. I did not drop.” An obvious lie; same trembling expression as her father. Aurora hit her chin against her knees, shaking her wings in frustration. “I have never seen Alexis fly, I have no way of knowing what a proper landing looks like.”

Ariel tangled her tail around one of her wings, as if to proclaim rule over the discussion. She did not want her sister to beat herself mentally, not over things that had no possible setback.

“Let’s say you do find him. You may not be able to pull at him. If he’s somewhere where you can reach him, he can probably get out himself. He’s strong, he’s stubborn.”

“What if he’s dead?”

Ariel flinched. Her eyes narrowed sadly, remembering how his claws had let go.

“…He’s not dead. He can’t be.”

If he was, she would bear guilt far greater than what she could endure.

Ariel stood slowly, and then looked around her. She had waited, hoping that the lynx would appear, like a miracle. It was not the case, not after hours.

“If you’re so worried of me getting trapped in the terrain, like I’m worried of you falling… maybe we should move together. I think the water is calm enough for me to advance carefully, while you fly over and tell me the best direction to move to.” She looked back at her younger sister, warmly. “They have always told us to stick together, haven’t they?”

Even though Aurora was sullen, she could not be gladder to have jumped down to catch her. Looking up, she stared at those grateful blue eyes, older than hers, but as unacquainted. Both did the best they could, against things they had never experienced.

Aurora stood and then moved to Ariel’s side, speaking hopefully.

“Alright, let’s find him together then. Do not try to be a hero this time. No going ahead of me.”

“Not this time. I could say you’re more capable than me now. I still want to take care of you, but maybe you can take care of us both better than I do.”

Aurora shook her head in disapproval, rolling her eyes.

Both only needed a squeeze of hand and a look to think of the same thing. They both neared the edge of the isle, one to brush the water with her feet, the other to stand on some rocks and leap over it. Aurora moved ahead first, not using her tired wings to fly, but to soar from isle to ledge, from rock to tree, always one step ahead. Ariel moved more slowly, always keeping an eye on those shiny bronze wings, which glinted over her.

“A little to the left! There is a blockage of rocks past those trunks!”

Ariel obeyed each time, accepting gladly the reversal of roles. To burden herself with all the work would take her nowhere, she had to rely more on her sister.

Both parties where advancing stubbornly through the valley, nearing its barren core. The waters had flowed near the mountains more, leaving a bigger isle on the centre of the landscape. Unknowingly, the three were nearing, getting closer to that place.

Aurora was the first to see, she was the first whose eyes glinted with huge relief. Her heart skipped a beat as she stood on a tall ledge that loomed over. She saw a figure crawl out of a river, slowly, weakly. It was still far, but there.

“Lykaios!”

Ariel gasped and dashed down from a slope, letting herself drop onto her hands, when she heard her say his name. She began to run, seeing her sister use her wings to fly downwards, past her, chasing with urgency.

But there was no urgency, not anymore. Lykaios had heard her voice while he climbed onto the shore. He panted and slowed his moves while looking up with hazed eyes. He saw the pretty glint of two bronze wings, moving above. He let himself convulse and surrender, seeing her near, fast. A tired smile grew on his face, far too small now to struggle against her quick hold. Even her wings folded over him when she lifted him up in her arms. Now small enough to curl against her chest, he sighed, letting himself succumb to the exhaustion. Two other arms latched around his small form when Ariel caught up, with the same emotion.

He whispered in between those warm feathers and arms, not needing to open his eyes to acknowledge the happy tears on their faces.

“You’re okay…”

They grinned while crying in relief. They brushed his black fur, wanting to scold him for worrying more for them than for him.

————
Even though this incident had been a horrible experience, now he was experiencing something that he had not had the pleasure of seeing before. In all these years, he had not seen this affection from them. Of course, the care had always been there, but never shown to such extent.

Lykaios curled a little more on himself, wrapped in the warmest of blankets that they had in their backpacks. He was resting near a fire that had been lighted with wet lumber; he could note Ariel’s determined intent to keep it alive. He smiled sadly, seeing Aurora take the only food that had survived the flood, to bring it to him. She offered the meat to him, even though they were probably hungry.

“Eat, Lykaios. You’re weak.”

He laughed sadly. Aurora frowned when he moved it away with a paw, whispering, refusing to take it.

“You truly are selfless. No wonder he calls you his little angel.”

Aurora huffed and crossed her wings around her, looking away bitterly.

“An angel would have been able to help more.”

Ariel looked up from the fire. She saw Lykaios’ expression turn from sad to resentful, but not for them. It confused her when he snarled, glaring down at the ground.

“No, angels are far too blind to be of help. But what matters is that you’re safe now.” He said the next words while clawing at the ground, speaking more to himself than to them. “You’re young; you will learn from your mistakes. It is them who disappoint me, who should know better. You’re learning, but they should have learnt already. They should have never left; they shouldn’t have let you feel so alone. In their zealousness for your safety, they have only dared you to seek them. They are the only thing you have besides a huge empty home.”

Ariel asked, she dared to do so, after so many days of wondering, of pondering the reason of their sudden banishment.

“Will you ever tell us why they head north?”

Ariel wanted nothing more than to be trusted with the knowledge. She hurt a lot when she discovered they were not in Feiren, she could not believe that Uriel lied to her, not after years of teaching her his ways. He always had told her to be honest.

“I promised not to say a word, Ariel.” He laughed angrily, tucking his paws under the blanket. He looked shy, apprehensive. “It is something I truly regret. I hate promises. This one is so senseless… so hurtful. They have lied to you, for something that I can’t find justifiable.”

Aurora had moved at his side. One of her wings was now over the blanket, as an extra layer for him to keep warm. He really felt pity while hearing her voice, seeing her caring sharp eyes.

“Maybe… maybe they can justify it.” Ariel frowned with Aurora’s words, both knowing their venture was related to angelic blood in one way or another. “When they have kept us away from the history of angels and demons, they have done so out of worry. They may be keeping us from something worse than that. Maybe he is trying to find a way to…”

No, innocent child; he is not seeking that. An angel can’t take back their wings. Only one creature could heal such wounds…

“There is nothing worse than blindness, Aurora. It only leads one to fall into a dark void full of hurt.” Lykaios shook his head, questioning everything. “He has kept the true nature of his loss hidden for many years, and it still haunted you. He did not dare to teach you to fly, not even when he knew it could mean you would never do so. He’s foolish, he denies his own nature. A fool he is, Uriel and Ayako too. The three of them. Blind, stupid impulse fools.”

Ariel did not like that they had lied, but she did not appreciate either that Lykaios insulted them with such resent.

“They are not-”

“They are, and to great extent.” Lykaios did not stand, but did hit a paw against the ground, affirming. There was great anger in his eyes; he decided to break his promise, unable to look at them and lie. “They do not deserve that I keep my word. They do not deserve that I keep their secret, not when it’s fed on falsehoods. All this time, they have kept you in the shadows, not to reach commerce and influence for the manor, but to feed their most selfish of desires. They affirm they love you, that all is how it should be, yet they seek change, as if they need it. They are hypocrites.”

“What are you talking about?”

Lykaios smiled at Aurora. He really felt pity for her innocent eyes, her angelic gaze, and her gentle trustful loyalty. All that, it made him angry; he could see it clearly, but Alexis could not.

“Oh, how sightless they are. And like them, so are you.” Lykaios let himself lay against her side, while resting his head on her lap. He began to whisper, with a sorrow he had not voiced before. “Why do they feel the need to justify your differences? I do not know. I do not know why they seek angelic wisdom in a northern land. I do not understand why they don’t feel fulfilled while looking at you, why they need an unneeded explanation to your being. They should not need answers; they should embrace the gift that you are, without questions. Alas, they are foolish, and selfish. They see a problem where there isn’t, and by doing so they only make you share those thoughts.”

“They…” Aurora stared at him, confused. She was lost, but couldn’t avoid thinking deeply about his words. “They are trying to explain my… existence?”

He laughed again, silently. His eyes moved to look up at hers, honest.

“I know how you wonder. I know you share his same worry. You can very well be the first demon born from a human and an angel. Yes… you are so different. But while you embrace the fact that their bond can bring your birth and look past all that historic hatred… he can’t. He keeps looking back into it, listens to whispers he should ignore. He can’t wrap his mind around the fact he is an angel and you are a demon, no matter how much he affirms it does not matter. It tears him apart to see himself and your caring sharp eyes. He wants to find the core and reason of your shared blood.”

All the fear she saw in those amber eyes, it had always been for devils. To hear his parting could be for him to justify her birth only made her shiver, quiver at the thought of his hidden resent. Perhaps he still loved her, like Ariel, but maybe he could not accept her as his own. He had always kept quiet about his heritage, perhaps deeming her unworthy of it. His blood was angelic.

And yet, she wasn’t. He had never shown pride for himself, not by her side. And that made her whisper, believing to be at fault.

“Does he want to change me?”

Ariel shuddered at that. Her sister had tensed, her wings had gone limp. Her blue eyes had fixed on her claws, surely wondering if she should be more heavenly or mortal.

Lykaios offered, proud of his own blood.

“No, Aurora, you have no reason to resent what you are. Feel proud of it; you have the strength of angels, and the spirit of a human. Demons can do things which are far greater than any other. In fact… it is not demonic blood what disturbs your father the most. He is indeed trying to understand your birth and origin, but not to change you. He is looking for another kind of wisdom.” The sisters sat there, while the most striking words flowed past his fangs, dragged and painful. “I always creep and listen, and Alexis knows it. In the most troublesome of his nights, when he can’t handle to face anyone, he reaches to me in the dark. Before he left, he confessed to me what he had not dared to tell Ayako, not even Uriel. He does not wish to change you, Aurora… He does not. He is proud of your strength, your demonic blood, as you should be. He told me what he truly seeks in that temple, an answer to every single moment of suffering he has lived or caused.”

It was not her blood what caused him dread… it was his.

————

 

“Let me get this right…” He eyed the three while standing by the golden table, in the dark. “You have not only let go of your hatred and inner vows to your races, but conceived two children from it. One of them, a winged one, with human and angelic blood.”

Ayako nodded firmly, Uriel brushed one of his arms shyly, while Alexis kept looking at Zelophehad with a deep stare. The ancient devil laughed a little then, shaking his head in disbelief, wings batting slightly.

“All these aeons, locked in here, I had sworn that the first person to set foot here would be a lost stubborn pilgrim, or Philander with his shield. I would have never foretold this. I am not easy to take by surprise, but here I am, wondering if I am going mad at last.”

“You’re not.” Alexis took a few steps closer, wanting to get to the point. “This is why I am here. I need to know, what causes demons to come to be. Why has her blood varied so much? What has caused her to be a demon?”

Zelophehad raised an eyebrow, which did not face Alexis yet. The angel stood his ground, while the demon eyed him down with a bewildered expression.

“You are asking for a cause? A factor that makes us different?” Alexis faltered when Zelophehad gave him a serious look with those piercing red eyes. “I think you’re looking too deep into it… You have the answer right in front of you. It has been there all along, there’s no need for dark reasons or supernatural doings.”

Alexis paled. Uriel whispered behind him with his arms crossed; his tone was solemn, grim.

“So it is completely biological then… An angel and a human naturally bring forth a devil.”

Zelophehad smiled at Uriel, nodding.

“I see you have not only inherited my good looks, but my critical thinking as well.” Zelophehad had noticed how the colour drained from Alexis’ face, so he moved and grabbed an old book. After blowing the dust off of it, he opened it, and then spoke with a claw on its pages. “As the scribes wrote down, the first demon was given birth from the profane union between an angel and a human. Yes, these scribes were killed for recording the truth of my birth, which I revealed to the world to taint the honour of angels.”

Ayako took the book from him to read for herself, with great interest. Meanwhile, Alexis was smiling, but not in a good way. Trembling, he began to chuckle, looking at Zelophehad with a fearful glance.

“You were born from an angel and a human too?” Zelophehad nodded again, frowning at his skeptic amber eyes. “There has to be something else to it. Can’t Aurora have been born for my profanities? Is sin not related at all? M-maybe there is some kind of magic which makes demons out of living beings?”

“No, there isn’t.” Zelophehad crossed his wings at him, not liking his fearful disbelief. “Angel and human conceive a demon. A demon and a human bring forth a demon. The child of two demons is something obvious. The offspring of a demon and an angel… has been known to come from a forceful union that only war could bring, and that sadly, has always had horrible outcomes. When human blood mixes with angelic blood, no matter how ancient, it always brings a being with far more many abilities and changes. Humans have always been an evolving race, which blood unlocks the most dangerous of mutations in your divine blood.”

“Then… There’s no other way to become a demon?” Uriel blinked when Alexis whispered the next words mournfully. “I am an angel for sure? And I will forever be?”

“Don’t tell me that…” Alexis huffed, because Uriel lunged at him. He grabbed his shoulders and shook him around, glaring at him fiercely. “You wanted to become what?!”

Alexis fidgeted under his hold and glare, seeing the hurt and disbelief in those violet eyes. Even Ayako stopped reading to look at them with a frown, while Zelophehad sighed at the scene. The angel confessed, nervously, sweating while his demon towered.

“I t-thought that, if I became a demon, which I suspected to be changing into, Aurora would stop… that she would stop looking at herself like she always does.” He bowed his head with a sorrowful scowl, unable to look at Uriel’s eyes. “I hoped, that if I could change, I could let go of this duty of mine; I don’t want to be something that represents the death of devils. I prayed to be able to call this world mine, to not be bound and expected to kill you all. Like Ayako, I want a way in which to free you from this spell; I am sick of seeing you all hurt for what I am.”

Uriel let go of him. He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped himself. Stepping away from the sullen angel, he looked away with a claw on his forehead, whispering angrily.

“You are an idiot, Alexis.” He mumbled to himself, walking to the far end of the room. “I knew this journey was stupid. You are stupid. You can’t just…”

For Uriel there was nothing wrong with being an angel. The blame should not be put on race, but on acts, and he had hoped their experiences had taught him that.

Ayako spoke to Alexis, who still shied under her less scolding stare.

“You did not tell us that. I thought you only wanted to know why, not find a way to change or turn.”

“I know.” He admitted, looking at his feet with his hands in his pockets. “I have not technically lied; I still wanted to know the origins of demons. This was just something I hoped to find as well.”

“Well, I am very sorry to disappoint you.” Zelophehad interjected, walking through the room to organize a few fallen books. His tone was friendly, emphatic. “You’re not going to find any dark spells with which to twist yourself here, nor any scripture that holds truth about our creation out of the shadows. Like your union, my father and mother brought me to life from love and care. There is no sin, no hidden arcane ways; there was just a bond.”

“A bond that brought a bloody war that lasted for ages.” Zelophehad looked at Ayako with a sad smile, hearing her analytical words. “Your birth was a drastic change for this world, wasn’t it?”

“Well, bad things happened because of my bloodline, but some things were good. Not all of my descendants brought destruction, I am sure you agree to that.”

Ayako was looking at Uriel, who quickly looked away when he noticed her eyes on him.

“I wonder who truly started this hateful war. Was it demons with their wild ways, or angels once their ego was stricken?”

He acknowledged her curiosity. The angel and demon seemed too haunted or upset to ask about it anymore.

“Both did seek each other’s blood. But their aggression did not come from nowhere. It was humans who stood in between, the most fragile yet strong, and the true reason behind their lives.” Zelophehad laid a hand on her shoulder, inviting her to follow him near some books, which he had written himself while he had nothing to do in the emptiness of the temple. “Angels are stern creatures, emotionless and firm. Without a human to soften their heart… demons would have never shared the emotion in your souls. You are so passionate that you can warm an angel’s unmoving coldness. The affection my father held was what set my mother free of her self-inflicted blindness.”

He had never told this with words, only with ink. Fire could burn pages and books… but it would not erase the words in a mind. He wanted his tale to live, to be known. This was his chance.

It was a long story, old and grim. But it was of the world and his.